Appius Claudius Caudex ( 264 BC) was a Roman politician. He was the younger brother of

Appius Claudius Caecus Appius Claudius Caecus ( 312–279 BC) was a statesman and writer from the Roman Republic. The first Roman public figure whose life can be traced with some historical certainty, Caecus was responsible for the building of Rome's first road (t ...

, and served as

consul Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states th ...

in 264 BC. In that year, he drew

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

into conflict with

Carthage Carthage was the capital city of Ancient Carthage, on the eastern side of the Lake of Tunis in what is now Tunisia. Carthage was one of the most important trading hubs of the Ancient Mediterranean and one of the most affluent cities of the clas ...

over possession of

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

. In 265 BC,

Hiero II of Syracuse Hiero II ( el, Ἱέρων Β΄; c. 308 BC – 215 BC) was the Greek tyrant of Syracuse from 275 to 215 BC, and the illegitimate son of a Syracusan noble, Hierocles, who claimed descent from Gelon. He was a former general of Pyrrhus of Epirus an ...

had attacked Messana (modern

Messina Messina (, also , ) is a harbour city and the capital city, capital of the Italian Metropolitan City of Messina. It is the third largest city on the island of Sicily, and the 13th largest city in Italy, with a population of more than 219,000 in ...

) in an attempt to capture it from the

Mamertines The Mamertines ( la, Mamertini, "sons of Mars", el, Μαμερτῖνοι) were mercenaries of Italian origin who had been hired from their home in Campania by Agathocles (361–289 BC), Tyrant of Syracuse and self-proclaimed King of Sicily. A ...

, mercenaries from

Campania (man), it, Campana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demog ...

who had taken it some years before. The Mamertines allied with a nearby Carthaginian fleet and held off the Syracusans, but when the Carthaginians did not leave, the Mamertines appealed to Rome in 264 BC. Some senators were opposed to helping them, but Appius Claudius persuaded the citizens to support them. He led a force to Messina and, as the Mamertines had convinced the Carthaginians to withdraw, he met with only a symbolic resistance. The Mamertines handed the city over to Appius Claudius, but the Carthaginians returned and laid siege to Messana. The Syracusans, meanwhile, were also stationed outside the city. Claudius tried to send ambassadors to both the Carthaginians and the Syracusans, but he was ignored. He then led his troops outside the city, defeated the Syracusans in battle, and Hiero retreated back to Syracuse. The next day Claudius also defeated the Carthaginians. Following these victories Appius laid siege to Echetla but after the loss of many troops returned to Messana.Diodorus Siculus, Biblioteca ''Historica''
23.1
/ref> This dispute was one of the immediate causes of the

First Punic War The First Punic War (264–241 BC) was the first of three wars fought between Rome and Carthage, the two main powers of the western Mediterranean in the early 3rd century BC. For 23 years, in the longest continuous conflict and gr ...

Citations

External links

Livius.org: Appius Claudius Caudex
{{DEFAULTSORT:Claudius Caudex, Appius 3rd-century BC Roman consuls 3rd-century BC Roman generals Caudex, Appius Year of birth unknown Year of death unknown